UK not prepared for climate impacts, says CCC

Despite ‘unequivocal evidence’ that climate change is making these weather extremes more likely, the committee found no discernible progress in the UK’s preparedness since its last Adaptation Progress Report in 2023, even with the change in government.

“We can see our country changing before our eyes,” said Baroness Brown, chair of the CCC’s Adaptation Committee. “People are having to cope with more regular extreme weather impacts. People are experiencing increasing food prices. People are worried about vulnerable family members during heatwaves.

“Ineffective and outdated ways of working within government are holding back the country’s ability to be future-fit. Is this government going to face up to the reality of our situation? Failing to act will impact every family and every person in the country.”

The 2025 Adaptation Progress Report highlighted several areas of concern. It found that over half of England’s best farming land was already under threat from flood, alongside 6.3 million properties. Both those figures are expected to increase significantly by 2050, with the total number of properties set to reach eight million as sea levels rise and coastal flooding becomes more prevalent.